A Patient Man
by Frakme
Summary: Companion Piece to "Echoes in the Mirror:Redux", centred on Major Malcolm Reed. Tucker/Reed, rated for sex, violence and potty mouth. You don't have to read Echoes first but it may help. Mirror Universe AU. A couple of new chapters - warning, noncon and references to rape. Reed/OC, Tucker/Reed, Tucker/OC
1. Chapter 1

**A companion piece to "Echoes in the Mirror:Redux". From the POV of Major Malcolm Reed. You don't have to read "Echoes" to understand it but it might help if you did.**

**Warnings of violence, slash sex, Reed/Tucker and swearing, hence the rating.**

Definite nods to LoyaulteMeLie and Belen09 - her story "The Last" definitely inspired the end!

The first time Major Malcolm Reed saw Commander Charles Tucker the Third, he knew he wanted him. The new Chief Engineer came on board the _Enterprise_, brought by Captain Forest, on Admiral Jeffries's recommendation. At first Reed assumed that Tucker had earned his promotion on his back because it didn't seem possible a man that beautiful could also be good at his job. However, he found he was wrong, Tucker was the Chief Engineer of_ Enterprise_ because his skills in the engine room were unparalled.

This made Reed want him even more, realising the man would prove to be a challenge. Observing him, he carefully watched and waited for the opportunity to make his move. The engineer was clearly oversexed, rarely spending a night alone, picking both female and male partners, though more of the former. He'd even observed that Hoshi Sato, the Captain's woman had shared his bed. Dangerous, Reed thought approvingly.

He watched Tucker seduce various alien women, sometime on orders from Captain Forest, sometimes, to Forest and Archer's irritation, without their permission.

Reed was a man of great patience though and he was prepared to wait for what he wanted.

* * *

Tucker was aware of Major Reed, he'd seen the smaller man observing him closely. Tucker's eyes had raked over the wiry frame that he knew hid great strength. He became aware that Reed was lusting after him. He had no real interest in the man himself although he was willing to make use of him, if he was offering. When it came to interactions to the crew, he never thought about them beyond instant sexual gratification. His mind was far too occupied with his engines. As long as he had a steady stream of willing bodies to satiate his lust, he was content. It seemed to him that Reed was willing to become one of those bodies.

* * *

It was in the mess hall one night that Reed found Tucker alone. Tucker had been working late, there had been a problem with the plasma injectors which took longer than anticipated to fix. He hated to leave anything unfinished so he had worked late until the problem was resolved to his satisfaction. He finally made it to the mess hall at nearly midnight, satisfied that his engines were now working optimally but feeling his libido calling for his attention. He only hoped there was someone in the mess hall to help assuage his lust and help him get a good night's sleep. To his surprise the only one there was Reed.

"Hello Commander" said Reed. "Working late, I see?"

Tucker looked up at the other man.

"Not the only one I guess" he said, getting a glass of water and a sandwich.

Reed came over to the other man as he sat to eat his meal. He noticed a smudge of oil on the engineer's cheek bone and leaned over to wipe it off. The engineer jerked in surprise and snatched at the other man's hand.

"I didn't give you permission to touch me, Major" said Tucker, dangerously.

Reed looked at him. The arrogance of the man was astounding… and extremely arousing.

Tucker took a couple of bites of his sandwich and drank the water before pushing it aside. He wasn't really that hungry, at least not for food. He looked at the Major, who was still staring at him. Tucker mentally shrugged to himself. He was horny as hell, no one else was around and it seemed the Major was willing, noticing the bulge in the MACO's tight fitting pants. Tucker stood up and looked at him, a cynical smile on his lips.

"My place or yours, Major?" he whispered, standing so close to the MACO that he could feel the heat radiating off him.

They opted for the Major's quarters as it was closer. Less than five minutes later, they were tearing each other's clothes off in a frenzy of lust, the Major triumphant as he gazed at the nude form of the man he had been lusting after for so long. The two of them battled for dominance, with fierce touches, bruising kisses and a friction that threatened to set fire to them both. However the Major was weakened by his need for the other man and his underestimation of Tucker's strength. He very nearly came on the spot when Tucker pinned him to the bed and growled in his ear.

"I want to fuck you, Major!"

Reed grabbed the lube he kept handy and gave it to Tucker, then bucked and moaned as Tucker carefully slipped his fingers inside him to prepare him for entry. He didn't see Tucker smirking at Reed's unbridled want. Tucker had no interest in this encounter beyond expending himself in Reed's tight heat.

Tucker prided himself on being as good a lover as an engineer and he never left his partners unsatisfied. And Reed was no exception as he carefully angled his thrusts to stimulate the other man's prostate. Watching Reed writhe in pleasure enhanced his own. He took the other man's cock in hand and stroked him, watching Reed's face as the Major came hard, crying out Tucker's name. Tucker's own orgasm followed shortly as Reed's muscles contracted around him with the force of his orgasm and he saw the look of adoration on Reed's face.

You limey idiot, thought Tucker, contemptuously as he slid out of the smaller man and got up. He immediately begun dressing as Reed watched, confused.

"I gotta get back to my own quarters, got an early start tomorrow" Tucker said, diffidently. He left the room, leaving Reed alone.

* * *

Reed cursed himself the next day. He kept replaying the previous night over and over in his head. He wanted Tucker even more now and that was not an acceptable state of affairs. He couldn't allow the man to have such control over him, it was simply too dangerous. But the longing for the chief engineer was overwhelming.

Once again he encountered Tucker in the mess hall but this time the engineer was not alone. He was with two of his engineering crew, Rostov and Hess. Tucker saw Reed and smirked over at him, one arm casually draped around Rostov, while Hess was sat in his lap.

"Well hello, Major Reed" he said. "Come and congratulate Rostov and Hess!" Reed looked at them coldly and said nothing.

"We're celebrating their promotions" he continued. "They have served me very well and I believe in rewarding good service."  
"Really?" said, Reed, dryly. "And what kind of service would that be?" The three engineers began laughing and Reed noticed jealously that Tucker was stroking Hess's buttocks, while Rostov was idly stroking the inside of Tucker's thigh.

"I think you already know" smirked Tucker. "We had some fun last night didn't we, Major?"

Reed jerked as all attention in the room fell on him.

"I should tell you, Major" Tucker said, cruelly, "I wouldn't expect a repeat performance. Gotta say though, you rated at least a seven out of ten." Beside him, Rostov snickered and Hess grinned before nibbling at Tucker's ear.

Reed felt a cold rage building up in him when he realised how Tucker had used him. Last night had meant nothing to him. He was a fool for allowing the engineer to get under his skin.

He left, his ears ringing with the laughter from the mess hall and his face burning with humiliation. He wanted to kill Tucker but he knew Forest would never allow it.

Hell hath no fury like a MACO scorned, Reed thought to himself. He would make Tucker pay for what he did. It would take patience, something that Major Reed had plenty of.

* * *

It took three months of careful planning. A deliberately planned malfunction next to a coolant conduit, an untraceable micro explosive and now Tucker was in sickbay under the not so tender ministrations of Dr Phlox. He had visited the injured man in sickbay. It had all gone to plan; Tucker would live but had suffered terrible burns from the radioactive coolant to his face, shoulder and back.

Tucker looked terrible, Reed was satisfied to see, and was clearly in tremendous pain. He leaned over Tucker seeing the rage and pain in the other man's eyes. He lightly touched the other man's groin.

"No one will want you now, Commander" he whispered into Tucker's uninjured ear. "Maybe I'll throw you a pity fuck now and again… but you'd better face the wall as I fuck you. You are nothing to me."

* * *

"Thank you for coming, Major Reed" said the Denobulan deferentially. "I am in need of your assistance. And perhaps I could assist you with your new project, hmm?"

"What do you need Doctor?"

"I'm about to run an experiment and I will need access to the security feed in Lieutenant Commander T'Pol's quarters." Lowering his voice, he stepped closer to the MACO. "Needless to say this is highly confidential."

Reed was intrigued enough by the request to agree. Shortly after, T'Pol came into sickbay, summoned by Phlox.

"Thank you for coming, Commander." said the Doctor. "I've run some additional tests on your blood samples following your last away mission and I am alarmed to discover that you appear to be suffering from a slight hormonal imbalance."

T'Pol looked at the doctor, puzzled. She had felt in perfect health.

"Nothing to worry about, I assure you. Just a quick treatment is required before the effects can be felt."

Phlox got a hypospray and injected the Vulcan woman.

"That's it, you are free to go, Commander!" The Denobulan smiled his unnerving smile at T'Pol and she left.

"Are you going to let me on on the details of your experiment?" asked Reed.

"You will see when you watch the security feed, Major and thank you. Let me know what assistance you require on your project. It sounds very intriguing."

Reed smiled.

"I'll send you what I need Doctor."

* * *

It was a couple of days later that he found out what Phlox had done. Forest was fit to be tied, both T'Pol and Tucker had failed to report for their duty posts. On investigation, Phlox had confessed to Forest that he had inadvertently triggered the Vulcan woman's mating cycle and she had turned to the disfigured chief engineer for help. Reed watched some of the feed, seeing Tucker take the Vulcan woman over and over again. He saw the shame and disgust in the Vulcan woman's eyes but felt nothing for her. As a rule he had no use for women, neither sexually or otherwise. But the naked form of Tucker, slick and shiny with sweat, still managed to arouse him. It angered him that Tucker still had that effect on him.

He reminded himself that this had been the only action Tucker had gotten since the accident. The once vain and arrogant man, who had probably fucked half the ship was now a virtual recluse, rarely seen outside of engineering, enduring taunts and looks of revulsion from his shipmates. While Reed carefully increased his worth to Forest, spreading fear wherever he went.

* * *

It came as a surprise to Reed when he found out that Tucker had eventually found someone foolish enough to become his bed partner. Some no account engineering ensign. He'd seen her a couple of times, he supposed she would be considered attractive though she had no charms that would appeal to him. However other events took over which made him forget about the young blond woman who seemed to be oddly unfazed by Tucker's appearance. She must be fucking blind, or closing her eyes a lot, Reed thought contemptuously.

He had a moment of triumph when he was able to put Tucker in the agony booth. His screams and pleading were like music in the Major's ears. Several times, Reed had had to leave the room, to take care of a raging hard on brought on by watching the engineer writhe in agony.

Of course, his pleasure soon ended when it was his turn in the agony booth. Although he thought he had faced it with far more intestinal fortitude than Tucker. Reed had not uttered a sound the whole time he was in there.

* * *

It was over, Archer was dead at the hands of his lover, proving once again that women could not be trusted. The woman herself had styled herself as Empress Hoshi Sato. Tucker and his little whore were now in the Empress's favour, along with one of his own men, Mayweather who turned out to be Sato's lover.

He'd expected to be allowed to die of the injuries he sustained hunting down the Gorn overseer but was surprised when Sato ordered Phlox to save him, then offered him command of her forces with instructions to suppress the rebellion anyway he saw fit. This pleased him no end, he had a lust for violence that was unmatched by anyone. Not only that, he was able to rebuild his own support, it was easy to find others who were less enamoured of the change in administration amongst his troops.

He was also amused when he discovered that Tucker's whore was being offered to him in marriage, by her ambitious mother. It was a tempting offer; a nice diversion in taking from Tucker the only woman who could stand to be in the engineer's bed. Despite the fact he had no interest in women, he thought he could fuck her if only to make Tucker suffer just a little bit more.

However it seems she wasn't quite the placid, empty headed little trollope he took her for. Not only had she gone back to the_ Defiant_, his sources on the ship told him she had jumped straight back into Tucker's bed.

The next thing he knew, she had married him, with the Empress's blessing. He was a little disappointed but unsurprised. Thanks to the injuries he had suffered on board_ Defiant_, he had suffered worse scars than Tucker. Perhaps she decided that Tucker was the lesser of two evils. However, unlike the vain and arrogant Tucker, hiding his shame away, Reed wore his scars with pride, using them to put the fear of hell into his enemies.

In the meantime, he was making his own plans to get rid of the Empress. He had no faith that she could keep herself in power and so he would watch and wait, building up his own support. Waiting for the right moment to make his move.

* * *

He was away from Earth when he received the news of Charles Tucker's death. He was surprised at how much it affected him. Despite his implacable hatred of the man, part of him still wanted Tucker to submit to him. He also knew he'd preferred him dead at Reed's own hands. He'd been told that Tucker had succumbed to the delta radiation that had been slowly poisoning his system and that his wife has euthanised him. He also heard a disturbing rumour she was pregnant. Reed smiled; not if he ever got hold of her. Dismissing thoughts of the Tuckers from his head, he turned to more important matters.

It was time to make plans to return to Earth. He had received intelligence that the _Defiant_ was now vulnerable and that the new ships were not being built. It was just as well he was a patient man, as it would take some time to raise a big enough fleet to destroy the_ Defiant,_ even vulnerable as she was now.

* * *

The fleet had amassed its strength and had destroyed the _Defiant_'s weapons, shields and ability to go to warp. General Reed tasted victory as he opened a channel to the other ship. He saw the Empress, her lover and in the centre seat, looking pale, weak and fecund, the now Captain Jane Tucker.

"This is General Reed, surrender the ship and give us Sato." He smiled cruelly into the viewscreen, looking at Tucker. "So the rumours are true, you are pregnant. Hope the whelp takes after you and not your dead husband."

"I was, you bastard!" she shouted back at him. The baby was dead then.

"Damn" he said. "I was hoping to kill the little brat myself. Now surrender the ship and I'll make your death a clean one. I'm only interested in the Empress."

I'll destroy this ship first" she snarled back at him. He couldn't help but admire her gall, but he didn't believe her.

"You are outnumbered, your shields are down and your weapons are failing. You don't stand a chance!" Reed responded, though he knew he was wasting his breath. The channel was cut, from their end.

"They're coming towards us!" shouted the weapons officer. "Should I fire on them?"

"Disable their weapons and prepare a boarding party. I want the ship intact and Sato taken alive. Kill the others."

_Defiant_ fired the last of her weapons, still heading straight for Reed's ship. Too late, Reed realised that Tucker was serious when she said she would destroy the ship.

He quickly left the bridge of his ship. He was a survivor and he was not going down with his ship, unlike that brave, stupid woman helming the _Defiant_. Ignoring the crew frantically running around him, he ran to the launch bay and using his override codes, he lowered his ship's shields and and left the ship in a warp shuttle. One minute later,_ Defiant_ collided with the ship. As he took the shuttle to warp, he realised he'd had a lucky escape as the warp reactor on the _Defiant_ blew, destroying both ships completely.

* * *

Reed would watch and wait to see who would move into the power vacuum. Then he would make his next move. He was a patient man and he knew how to survive. This time though, there would be nothing or no one to distract him.


	2. Chapter 2

**I decided to add another chapter to this. It is set 25 years after the events on "Echoes in the Mirror" and "A Patient Man" **

**WARNING: Noncon and references to rape. Reed/OC**

**An Exorcism of Desire**

General Reed made his way down to the engine room of the_ Intrepid_, searching out her Chief Engineer. The repairs on the ship after the earlier battle were not progressing to his satisfaction and so he thought Commander MacKenzie would need some… encouragement.

He strolled into the engine room as if he was royalty; despite being quite small and slight, the general projected an aura of power and strength, he was one to be feared, not at least because of the livid burn scars that covered most of his face.

He looked around for MacKenzie but didn't see him. He saw a tall blond haired man instead, his back facing the general, working on one of the consoles and so went up to him. He grabbed the young crewman by the arm and spun him around.

Reed nearly gasped in shock when he saw the man's face. Somehow he brought himself under control.

"Where is Chief MacKenzie" he said to the crewman, who flinched, his blue eyes fearful.

"He's down in the antimatter containment chamber, sir" he said, in a soft Scottish accent. General Reed glanced at the pips on the man's collar.

"Thank you, Lieutenant…?"

"Scott, sir." The man swallowed nervously. Reed realised he was still holding the man's arm and released him.

He moved away intent on finding MacKenzie. He eventually found the man, who immediately started babbling excuses as to why the engines still were not operational.  
"You have three hours, MacKenzie" said Reed. "Then I will be back down here." The look he gave MacKenzie made it clear to the engineer he really didn't want the general to return.

Reed left the man staring in terror. He saw the blond haired Lieutenant again, but looked away from him.

Leaving the engine room, he went into the turbolift and pressed a hand against his eyes. He had just seen a ghost.

Three hours later, he received word that the ship had warp capability again. He gave _Intrepid_'s captain orders that they should rejoin the rest of the fleet and decided to head back to his quarters. The whole time he was on the bridge, he couldn't get the young man out of his head.

Turning to his communications officer, he ordered him to locate Lieutenant Scott and to tell him to report to the general's quarters. The communications officer did as he was bid, keeping a carefully impassive look on his face. It wasn't the first time that he had sent young male crewmen to the general's quarters.

Reed arrived at his quarters impatiently awaiting the arrival of Scott. Eventually the door chime announced his presence and Reed let him in. The lieutenant came in and saluted him. Reed raked his gaze over the man, as he stood stiffly to attention, his blue eyes still fearful.

"How long have you been on this ship, Lieutenant?"

"Two weeks, sir." The Scottish accent sounded odd coming from that mouth, when Reed was expecting a honeyed Floridian accent.

A whispered voice floated through his mind - "I want to fuck you, Major."

"What is your full name, Lieutenant?"

"Charles Tucker Scott, Sir."

Reed sat heavily down on the chair and closed his eyes. He was suddenly transported back twenty five years, to a desperate woman, who it seemed had been cleverer than he'd thought. She had said she had been pregnant and lost the child, but here was the proof in front of him that she had lied. Here was the son of Charles Tucker the Third, a man he hadn't thought of in years.

Reed walked around the younger man, his piercing gaze drinking him in. He looked so much like his father except for the blond hair. However the bright blue eyes, the perfectly straight nose, the sensual lips, even the set of his broad shoulders, was pure Tucker. Beautiful, Reed thought. Even more so than his long dead father had been. "At ease, Lieutenant" he said. He walked over to his desk and poured two glasses of Saurian brandy, giving one to the Lieutenant.

"You look just like your father" Reed said, his voice deceptively soft. Scott looked at him with confusion. He sipped nervously at his drink.

"Your real father" Reed continued. "You were adopted." He assumed the young man knew this.

"You knew my real father, sir?"

He heard the eagerness in Scott's voice, his assumption was correct.

"We served together on the Enterprise and on the Defiant." Records of Sato's coup and short reign had been expunged from the Empire's history, though there were still a few who knew what happened during those turbulent two years. Reed himself had narrowly escaped the destruction of Defiant and his own ship. The other ships, lacking clear leadership when Reed fled, had fought amongst themselves. One man emerged victor, Reed watched and waited before offering fealty to him. Reed was never interested in the throne himself, preferring to be a less visible target. Instead he preferred to be the power behind the throne. He skillfully built up a fleet for the new emperor, calling in favours, spreading fear and using his deadly skills to ensure his position by removing potential threats. It had helped also that he had managed to obtain much of Tucker's specifications of the Defiant. Mayweather had destroyed the fleet's shipbuilding facility just before the final battle.

Now he was in the middle of a campaign to invade and subdue Andoria. He didn't need distractions, especially one that was the ghost of his former obsession, Charles Tucker the Third.

He lightly stroked the young man's cheek. At twenty five, he was seven years younger than Tucker had been when they had first met. Scott struggled not to flinch away from the older man's touch.

"Dismissed, Lieutenant" Reed said abruptly.

Scott, looked surprised, put his drink down and left. He let out a shaky breath, he'd had a narrow escape. Now, heading back to his quarters, he was left with a burning curiosity about his parents. And a terrible fear of the man he had just left.

* * *

Over the next few days General Reed focused on the battle ahead. They finally had the Imperial Guard on the run, the tattered remains of their fleet making a last stand at Andoria. Reed was confident of a victory, his fleet outnumbered the Andorians' four to one. Victory came after three days of hard battle, Reed had lost about a tenth of his fleet but had decisively wiped out the Andorians'. He was awaiting the troop carriers that would bring his MACOs in for the ground occupation, having now received word of the Andorian Emperor's suicide and his government's surrender.

He was able to avoid the engineering deck and therefore Scott. Out of curiosity though, he called up his records. He was surprised to see that the young man was married, with a son who was about eighteen months old. Scott's adoptive parents, Lydia and Henry, were still alive in Aberdeen, caring for their adopted son's wife and child. It seemed that Lydia had been related to Scott's mother, Jane Taylor. She was the daughter of Taylor's mother's cousin.

He wondered idly how much of his parents' history Scott knew. Probably very little, if any. Admiral Jeffries and his concubine had been killed shortly before Sato and Taylor had died. Curiosity won out and he once again summoned the young engineer to his quarters.

"You asked to see me, Sir?" said Scott, avoiding looking at the general, fear knotting in his gut. The last few days had been haunted by nightmares about this man.

"What do you know of your parents?" Reed asked.

"Nothing, sir." Scott paused, then spoke again hesitantly. He seemed to be more like his mother than the arrogant and prideful Tucker. "Can you tell me about them, sir?"  
"They were both engineers. Your father, Charles Tucker, had a talent only equalled by his arrogance. He was the chief engineer of both the ships we served on. Your mother, Jane, was under his command and not just in the engine room." Reed smirked, then continued. "Your father died of delta radiation poisoning before you were born. Your mother committed suicide a few days after you were born, destroying a priceless asset to the Empire in the process."

Scott paled, distressed at these revelations.

"Did she love him?" Scott asked, grasping for something to explain why she hadn't stayed for him.

Reed gave him an almost pitying look.

"She was his whore." Scott flinched at Reed's harsh words. Reed stared at the younger man with contempt. He was clearly weak, perhaps he took after his father more than he had thought. Tucker had proved himself to be weak, hiding away like a coward when Reed had scarred him for life, latching on to whoever was in power, allowing himself to be seduced by an ambitious opportunist. Still, Reed couldn't deny that he was reacting to the young man. There was one way to get it out of his system.

"Undress yourself" he said flatly. Scott froze, then began to comply, slowly undressing, folding his clothes neatly, his eyes blank.

Reed removed his uniform jacket and unzipped his pants, freeing his already hard cock.

"Bend over the desk and spread your legs." Scott complied, his whole body radiating fear.

Reed got some lube, spreading it over his fingers, prepared the younger man for entry.

"You have done this before haven't you?" Scott nodded stiffly. He had, but never willingly.

Once he was satisfied the younger man was prepared, he coated his hard cock.

"Go lie on the bed, on your back." said Reed. "I want to look at you."

Scott obeyed, laying down and spreading himself ready for Reed. He closed his eyes, gripping the sheets, his face red with humiliation. Reed arranged himself between the younger man's legs gazing at him rapturously. Once he had dreamed of having Charles Tucker like this, though in those dreams, Tucker was begging Reed to fuck him. Just like Tucker had fucked him.

Yet Reed hesitated, Scott's body radiated tension, sweat sheening his forehead. Reed leaned forward, exploring the man's chest and taut stomach before taking the flaccid cock in his hands. He stroked it, attempting to awaken it. Tucker would have been hard and ready by now, Reed thought to himself. Then again, Tucker would've been trying to pin him down to the mattress. He'd never be so submissive.

He let go of the engineer's cock and got off the bed, all desire fled.

"Get dressed and get out, Lieutenant." Reed said, not looking at the engineer, still on the bed. "I'll arrange a transfer for you in the morning."

Scott dressed hurriedly, practically fleeing the general's terrifying presence.

Reed arranged Scott's transfer to the Enterprise. Charles Tucker was long dead and his ghost had no place here.

Now, he had more important things to do.


	3. Chapter 3

**Immediately follows the events in "An Exorcism of Desire". Features mention of Tucker/Reed and Tucker/OC, and references events in "Echoes in the Mirror."**

**Seeds of Truth and Love**

Charlie Scott made his way back to his quarters before collapsing. He curled up in the corner, shaking and confused. He had braced himself for the rape, it wouldn't be the first time he had been raped by a senior officer. Yet Reed had touched him gently, almost reverently, before changing his mind and sending him away. He'd had the impression Reed had known his father intimately, had they been lovers?

He would never know the truth. His adoptive parents had never given him a scrap of information about his biological parents. He hadn't even known their names; he'd been shocked to discover that his name was also his father's. He would bury this experience and move on. He hadn't any other choice.

Seeing the message light blinking on his personal comm, he saw there was a message from the general. He was ordered to report to the _Enterprise_ in the morning. He sagged in relief, the general had meant what he said. There was also a file attached to the message, a compressed data packet. Opening it, he found there were several files. Pictures of his parents, he was astonished to see. One showed his father as a young man, he could see the uncanny resemblance between himself and his father. Another showed a pretty, blond woman, his mother, her expression unreadable.

There was another picture of the two of them together only in this one, his father was not the handsome young man he had been, something had happened to him that had left him terribly scarred, though not as badly as the general. There was also a copy of their marriage certificate.

Charlie looked at the images in confusion, why had the general sent it to him? He looked again at the photo of his parents together. The date on the file showed the photo had been taken on their wedding day, nearly two years before he had been born. His father was off looking at someone to his left and his mother was looking at her new husband. The expression on her face was soft and tender. He also noticed, despite the fact his attention was elsewhere, Charles Tucker was holding his wife's hand. Despite Reed's sneering assertions about his mother, he thought maybe there had been love. Much like Charlie and his own wife, he thought with a pang.

He copied the data package onto his PADD and began to pack, thinking he had more questions than answers. Perhaps he could force the truth from his adoptive parents when he returned to Earth. Perhaps, though, he was better off not knowing.


End file.
